Movie titles, like the names of books or articles, need to be properly acknowledged when used in academic writing. The key principle is this: italicize movie titles in your essays. This simple rule, consistently applied, ensures clarity and signals to your reader that you are referring to a specific film, not just a generic concept.
The Importance of Proper Citation
Accurately referencing movie titles is crucial for several reasons. First, it provides clarity and avoids ambiguity. Imagine discussing the theme of escapism and simply mentioning “The Wizard of Oz” without italicizing it; the reader might interpret it as a general idea about wizards or Oz. Secondly, proper citation demonstrates academic integrity. Giving credit where it’s due, even to creative works like films, is a fundamental principle of scholarly writing. Finally, it strengthens your credibility as a writer. Consistent and correct formatting shows attention to detail and a commitment to established academic conventions. Different citation styles (MLA, APA, Chicago) may have slightly varying guidelines; therefore, understanding and adhering to the style guide required for your assignment is paramount.
The Cardinal Rule: Italics
As a general rule, movie titles are italicized. This applies regardless of the film’s genre, length, or critical acclaim. Italicization serves as a visual cue, immediately informing the reader that they are encountering the title of a standalone creative work. However, it’s important to differentiate between a movie title and a shorter work, such as a song or a short film.
Distinguishing Between Movies and Short Films
While movies are italicized, short films, like songs, poems, or episodes within a television series, are typically placed within quotation marks. The distinction is generally based on length and whether the work exists independently. A full-length feature film stands alone, while a short film is often part of a larger collection or program. For example, you would italicize Citizen Kane but put “La Jetée” (a short film) in quotation marks.
Considering Serials and Franchises
For movie serials or franchises, each individual film within the series should be italicized. So, Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi would all be italicized. However, the franchise name itself, Star Wars, is not italicized unless you’re referring to it as the title of a specific film (which is rarely the case).
Citation Styles: Navigating the Nuances
Different academic disciplines and institutions often adhere to specific citation styles. The most common styles encountered in essay writing are MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association), and Chicago. While the fundamental rule of italicizing movie titles generally applies across these styles, there can be slight variations in other aspects of the citation.
MLA Style
MLA style typically requires including the director of the film in your works cited entry. For example:
Scott, Ridley, director. *Alien*. Twentieth Century Fox, 1979.
In the body of your essay, you would refer to the film by its title: “In Alien, the crew…”
APA Style
APA style also italicizes movie titles but places more emphasis on the year of release. The works cited entry might look like this:
Scott, R. (Director). (1979). *Alien* [Motion picture]. Twentieth Century Fox.
Within the text, you would cite the film as follows: “As demonstrated in Alien (Scott, 1979)…”
Chicago Style
Chicago style offers two options: notes and bibliography or author-date. In both cases, movie titles are italicized. In the notes and bibliography system, a full citation appears in the bibliography, and a shortened version appears in the footnotes or endnotes. The author-date system includes the director’s name and year of release in parentheses within the text.
FAQs: Deep Diving into Movie Title Citations
FAQ 1: What if I’m referencing a movie review or an article about a movie, rather than the movie itself?
If you’re citing a review or an article, follow the citation guidelines for that specific type of source (e.g., journal article, website). The movie title within the review or article itself would still be italicized, but the review/article title would be enclosed in quotation marks (if that’s the standard for the citation style).
FAQ 2: What if the movie title is in a foreign language?
Italicize the foreign language title. If you provide an English translation, you can include it in brackets immediately after the title: Amélie [Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain].
FAQ 3: What if the movie title contains another title?
Both titles should be formatted according to the rules. The larger work (the movie) is italicized. If the inner title is also a movie title, it’s italicized as well. If the inner title is a song, short film, or poem, it’s placed in quotation marks. For example, in an essay about filmmaking, you might write, “Singin’ in the Rain features the classic song, ‘Singin’ in the Rain.’”
FAQ 4: What if the movie title includes a quote?
Italicize the entire movie title, including the quote. For example: “Frankly, My Dear, I Don’t Give a Damn”.
FAQ 5: What if the movie title is very short (e.g., just one word)?
The length of the title doesn’t matter; still italicize it. So, Psycho is correct.
FAQ 6: Should I italicize the word “film” or “movie” when referring to a movie?
No. Only italicize the title of the specific film. “The film Parasite…” is correct.
FAQ 7: Where should the punctuation go when a movie title ends a sentence?
Generally, the period or comma goes inside the closing quotation mark when the movie title is set off by quotation marks (e.g., referencing a short film). However, with italics, the punctuation generally goes outside the italicized title. For example: “I enjoyed watching Casablanca.”
FAQ 8: How do I cite a movie within a footnote?
Follow the citation style’s guidelines for footnotes. Usually, the first footnote should contain the full citation details (director, year, studio, etc.), and subsequent footnotes can use a shortened version.
FAQ 9: Is it acceptable to use shortened or alternative titles in an essay?
While understandable in informal conversation, it’s best to use the official, full title of the movie in an academic essay, especially the first time you mention it. If you want to use a shortened title later, you can introduce it after the first, full reference.
FAQ 10: How do I cite a movie that I watched online through a streaming service?
Include the streaming service in your citation. MLA, for example, allows specifying the platform where you accessed the film. The general formatting remains the same, with the movie title italicized.
FAQ 11: What about documentaries? Are they treated the same as fiction films?
Yes, documentaries are treated the same as fiction films. Italicize the title of the documentary. For example, Man with a Movie Camera.
FAQ 12: What if the movie title is presented unusually on screen, like all caps or all lowercase?
Cite the movie title according to its official presentation, even if it deviates from standard capitalization. However, you should still italicize it. So, a movie officially titled se7en would be cited as se7en.